Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Teacher Talk Tuesday

Make your expectations clear. Establish your expectations with your class and reinforce them until your students are independent.

Here are a few examples of some of my daily routine anchor charts.

This is how I want them to come in and get ready for their day. #2 is smile at Miss Theodora Pig!

I have them pack-up about 40 minutes before the day is over (it is just how our schedule fits it in). We then can work until the end of the day.

We also co-created an illustration rubric that we use to "grade" our station work. We grade the papers together during the first few weeks of school (using our document camera). This quickly helps reduce my scribblers. We vote if each piece of work is a 1, 2 or 3 star paper.

I guess it might be hard on those who are not doing their best, but I then make sure I support them with their attempts. I try not to be harsh. I have some students who have fine motor issues, so I make a a big deal about their efforts and celebrate their work.

However, I find most students are capable, but their work does not display it.

Also, I only "group grade" for a few days. Once they know the expectations, they get on it.

LOVE these! I've had parents continuing to walk their children into class and I want my kinders to follow through with the arrival routine! Think of me when you get up in the morning because I will (hopefully) already be at school....making anchor charts! :-) (Thank God for the drive-thru Starbucks in the valley!)

Why do they have to color in the lines?? WHAT if their art vision is to color outside the line... who is to say that their imagination is a sad face?? Are we teaching them to color like us or to color how they see their art?? We are making clones and not individuals. Just saying...........

I am sorry that you feel I am systematically stamping out the creativity of my students. Naturally, I can only assume that you are not very familiar with my blog or my teaching. Had you read my blog, you would not have been so judgmental.

The purpose behind this early rubric was for my students to have a way to be more noticing and purposeful in their illustrations. I am happy with an orange sky and a blue face, if the writer/illustrator did so with purpose.